East European loess–palaeosol sequences: Palynology, stratigraphy and correlation

In this paper the results of pollen analyses of the loess–palaeosol sequences (LPS) of the East European Plain are presented. Environment and vegetation evolution during the time of loess and soil formation has been characterized by pollen data of the reference sections of the Upper Oka (Likhvin–Chekalin section), the Upper Don (Strelitsa section), the Middle Kuma (Otkaznoe section), the Middle Dniester (Molodova and Ketrosy sections), and the Middle Desna (Arapovichi section) regions. Palaeomagnetic studies indicate that the sediment sequence studied spans at least the last 800 ka. The palynological climate proxies show a pattern of periodic variations comprising nine interglacial and eight glacial stages. On the basis of palynological results coupled with the electron spin resonance (ESR)-chronostratigraphic data on mollusc shell-bearing marine and terrestrial deposits, the reconstruction, periodization and distant correlation of palaeoclimatic events and deposits of glacial, periglacial and extraglacial zones of Northern Eurasia over the last 600,000 years have been carried out. Based on palaeoenvironmental evidence, it has been established that the full-interglacial conditions revealed are centred at about 580, 400, 310, 220 and between 145 and 70 ka. A broad correspondence between the long palynological sequence, directly ESR-dated warm-climate-related events and other palaeoenvironmental records described in the literature is noted at least for the 11 upper marine isotope stages (MIS 11–1).